1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for backing up data of a franking machine of the type wherein a connection between the franking machine and a remote data center is initially established via a communication network in a connection step; data stored in the franking machine are transmitted to the data center as backup data in a transmission step; and the backup data are stored in the data center in a storage step. The invention furthermore concerns a method for configuration of a franking machine in which such a method for data backup is applied. The invention also concerns a corresponding arrangement for data processing, a corresponding franking machine as well as a corresponding data center.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In contemporary franking machines the security data and usage data of the franking machine that are stored in a security module of the franking machine or at another point are transmitted to the data center at predeterminable points in time (for example at regular time intervals or upon each communication of the franking machine with the remote data center) and are stored at the data center for data backup. The term “security data,” as used herein means data that are used in connection with the execution of security-relevant functions of the franking machine (for example thus cryptographic keys, digital signatures, cryptographic certificates etc.). The term “usage data” as used herein means data that are representative of the actual usage of the franking machine (for example the contents of the postal register or data that reflect the usage, itemized according to different postal products).
The usage data are evaluated (for example statistically) in the data center in order to be able to influence the usage of the franking machine (as is known, for example, from EP 0 375 330 A2).
Due to the generally relatively low data transfer capacities of conventional franking machines, the data backup is normally limited only to the most necessary data (which is normally the security data and usage data described above), consequently the data that are directly connected with the documentation of the integrity and usage of the franking machine, and on which the user has at best indirect influence (by the usage of the franking machine).
While the security data and usage data described above are protected from data loss by this known backup, in the known franking machines the problem exists that a data loss that goes beyond the data included in the backup can occur, for example given a destruction of components of the franking machine, in particular the memory components of the franking machine. Configurations of the franking machine that can be defined by the user, for example the setup of cost centers, stored and freely selectable or even definable cliché data for the franking imprints (for example advertisement clichés for different occasions etc.), are normally lost. These must normally be re-entered into the franking machine by hand in a complicated manner.
A further problem of the presently known franking machines is that new or newly-initialized franking machines must be configured by hand by the user (insofar as functions and settings of the franking machine that can be defined by the user are concerned) in a relatively complicated manner in order to bring them up to the desired state.